Explosive reactive armor is well known and has been used for decades to protect tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military vehicles from penetrating ordnance. Conventional, explosive reactive armor includes a layer of explosive sandwiched between two plates commonly known as flyer plates. The flyer plates are typically made of metal. The explosive reactive armor is mounted to the hull of a vehicle such that one of the flyer plates faces outwardly towards the direction of an anticipated incoming ordnance and the other flyer plate faces inwardly towards the hull of the vehicle. The explosive reactive armor is typically oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the anticipated direction of the incoming ordnance and is mounted such that the flyer plate facing inwardly is spaced apart from the hull of the vehicle.
When an anti-armor weapon, such as a jet formed by an explosive shaped charge, penetrates through the outwardly facing flyer plate and contacts the explosive layer, the explosive layer detonates, propelling the two flyer plates in opposite directions. As the two flyer plates move outwardly from the explosive layer, they are driven across the path of the incoming ordnance. Because the two flyer plates are oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the direction of the incoming ordnance, the incoming ordnance must bore a slot, not a circular hole, through each flyer plate in order to reach the armor of the vehicle's hull. Boring a slot through the two moving metal flyer plates typically consumes the majority, if not the entirety, of the energy of the incoming ordnance leaving little, if any, energy to penetrate the armor of the vehicle's hull.
Although explosive reactive armor has proven its worth many times in combat, the manufacture, delivery, and storage of explosive reactive armor has presented some logistical challenges. Because the explosive layer inside the reactive armor is considered a hazard, there are rather severe restrictions placed on the types of facilities where explosive reactive armor can be manufactured. For instance, explosive reactive armor must be manufactured in specially designed and constructed explosive-resistant manufacturing facilities. There are also severe restrictions and limitations imposed during the transportation of explosive reactive armor. For example, explosive reactive armor may not be placed onboard ships and transported to a theater of operation if those ships are also transporting troops. Additionally, is not permissible to equip tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles operating in the United States with explosive reactive armor due to the potential hazard it poses to civilians. Accordingly, U.S. troops operating in the United States must train for combat using vehicles that are not equipped with explosive reactive armor. Thus, their training does not simulate actual combat conditions as closely as it could if use of explosive reactive armor on public roads were permitted.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an explosive reactive armor assembly that can be manufactured, transported, handled, and used in training without the requirement that extensive precautions be taken. In addition, it is desirable to provide an explosive reactive armor assembly that can selectively be rendered non-explosive. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.